Why the Dead Sea called Asfalticheskim?

I once heard a story about how immigrants from Russia on New Year went to the Dead Sea. Naturally, relax, bathe in salt water. Morning their daughter rouses Mama: "Mama, Mama! Snow has fallen! "Mom awake even did not quite understand what it was about. The child repeats: "Snow, snow!" Mom trembling: "How so? Yesterday was 25 degrees Celsius. Which snow? "" Looks in window: water covered saline bloom, all sea Wite. So much snow!

Snow from salt. Leonid Padrul And that's 1,111,116. wrote about the Dead Sea, Ivan Andreevich Bunin [/url] 100 years ago: "The symbol of this terrible country (Judea - BR) - Sea Asfalticheskoe", said once. Fear inspires her pilgrims to this day, three times cursed and thrice blessed. Few perpetrators of the way across the winding rapids of the Jordan with its heat and fever. But even fewer of those that embarked on conservation asfalticheskie water. It's easier, they said, go through all the oceans of the earth, than this tiny sea, black coastal cliffs which are steep forbidding, frightening eyes humanoid shape and so tar that can be ignited like a torch - the sea bottom is cracked so many times by earthquakes and throwing on the surface of the mysterious substance that the Egyptians were to save the dead from decay, the sea, burning, salty, bitter wave is hard as iron, and in the storm, "coated with boiling brine, shake their shores roar ..."

I exactly know that in any actually inspirer and organizer victories men is woman. Ellina, wife of Leonid Padrulya, his colleague, director of its exhibitions, absolutely accurately fits the definition of the inspirer and organizer.

Asfalticheskoe sea. Leonid Padrul small interview, a few phrases: "My husband and I together for 20 years professionally engaged in photography. I am director, graduated from the Kiev Theatrical Institute, and ... And when there is no possibility to work on a subject - you mean, as to compensate. In the photos you do not depend on whether you have a team. You take a camera, go - and everything.

We decided to develop it here - we are interested in this place. Because there three thousand years history of mankind. From Cleopatra and all-all of these ... And so began filming. Incidentally, colors all natural. They say: "Well, with" Photoshop "can do everything!" In these papers, all natural. (Added to themselves that the audience was such that several times with surprise and disbelief asked: "This is the" Photoshop "? This" Photoshop? ")

At first, nothing happened: another world, different from what was in Russia. Two years nothing not worked. Suddenly, early one morning Lenya made shot, and it opened there is a sense of understanding when and how ... and went to the collection to grow.

Leonid Padrul Here this - last day Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a shot from the point where it was Sodom. And look at all these landscapes, it was 3000 years ago. Here nothing has changed. And this is something appealing, because what you see: it was frozen there, and how many thousands of years - it does not change, remains intact. That's me and shocked! And then, there's nothing artificial, all the biblical landscapes! And it is very striking!

The climate changed after the disaster with Sodom and Gomorrah. After the disaster became impossible to live here. And a lot of work all this talk - why the Dead Sea. And I wonder why this piece of land for all fought, why Cleopatra received from Anthony this land as a reward, and why she fought for it so ... It's an endless topic. Personally for me it is very interesting and would like to talk about this to others. "

But that said the author of the exhibition, Leonid Padrul: "Actually, I climber, but here in Israel, I am 6000 meters down to minus 400 meters. I was immediately surprised at the Dead Sea area, because it ... Especially since I was involved in the project "Neyshnl Geographic" related to the caves at Qumran. And now I have 10 years photographing the Dead Sea.

" Leonid Padrul arrived in Israel in 1994. He manages the photo laboratory of the Archaeological Museum, is working on the design of exhibition catalogs. His photos (including photos of archaeological excavations in the north and in the Judean Hills) continuously published in the journal «National Geographic». But the most important for Leonid Padrulya became involved in a major international photographic project to save the Dead Sea, which in ancient times was called Sodom, asphalt and sea Lot.

Exposition. A. Minin Photo exhibition "Shadow of Jerusalem" in the foyer of the Opera (Tel Aviv), lasted a month and ended with showing the best images from the Dead Sea. The author assured those present that he will continue to shoot the Dead Sea and will do it as well. Present naturally wanted to continue successfully and expressed the hope that the exhibition were not so rare.